Optical System Engineer

At AcoustoFab, we are building a new class of laboratory automation technology based on acoustic levitation. Using phased-array ultrasound, we can manipulate droplets and solid samples in mid-air with no physical contact. By replacing plastic consumables, pumps and mechanical handling systems with programmable sound, we aim to make laboratory workflows faster, cleaner and more flexible while enabling new experiments that are difficult or impossible today. We are now developing the next generation of our platform: combining acoustic levitation with imaging and analytical techniques to understand and characterise samples while they are suspended in mid-air.

We are looking for an Optical Systems Engineer to help develop the imaging and sensing capabilities of our platform. This role sits at the intersection of optics, instrumentation, software and product development. You will work closely with a multidisciplinary team to develop imaging and sensing systems that capture data from levitated droplets and solids as they are contactlessly moved, mixed and deposited within our instrument in real time. As an early member of the team, you will have significant influence over technical decisions, system architecture and the direction of future products.

Core Responsibilities

• Design and develop optical systems for imaging and analysis of levitated samples.
• Integrate cameras, illumination, optics and analytical sensors into our acoustic levitation platform.
• Develop and evaluate approaches for imaging moving samples within a 3D workspace.
• Build and test experimental systems to rapidly investigate new concepts and technologies.
• Develop methods for synchronising image acquisition with other hardware systems.
• Create image processing and analysis pipelines to extract meaningful information from samples.
• Identify system-level trade-offs and technical risks across optics, mechanics, electronics and software.
• Support the transition of experimental prototypes into reliable product features.

Educational Background:

• MSc, PhD or equivalent industry experience in Physics, Optical Engineering, Instrumentation, Mechatronics or a related field.

Optical Systems:

• Experience designing, building and debugging optical imaging systems.
• Experience selecting and integrating cameras, illumination, lenses, sensors or spectroscopic instrumentation.

Hands‑on Hardware:

• Experience developing experimental setups, instruments or test rigs.
• Comfortable building, testing and troubleshooting real hardware systems.

Software & Data:

• Proficiency in Python or C++ for instrument control, data acquisition or data analysis.

Systems Thinking:

• Experience integrating hardware and software into complete systems.
• Strong problem‑solving skills and a structured experimental approach.

Startup Mindset:

• Comfortable working in a fast‑moving environment with evolving requirements.
• A builder mentality, excited about taking new technology from early‑stage prototypes through to product.

Additional Skills:

• Scientific instrumentation or laboratory automation.
• Machine vision, computational imaging or image processing.
• Spectroscopy techniques such as Raman, fluorescence, UV‑Vis or NIR.
• Microfluidics, optical tweezers, acoustophoretics, electrophoretics or other contactless sample handling technologies.
• Optical simulation tools such as Comsol or Zemax.
• Experience with CAD tools such as SolidWorks.
• Experience working in an early‑stage startup or R&D environment.

Why Join Us?

• Own the design of a world‑first technology.
• Work on genuinely multidisciplinary challenges spanning optics, physics, software, robotics and life sciences.
• Join a small, fast‑paced, ambitious team in the heart of London’s tech ecosystem where your work will directly shape both the product and company.